Calk for running-shoes



(No Mel.) 4

vW. W. BURNHAM. GALK POR RUNNING SHOES.

10.402,138. -PafenfedApr.so,18s9

UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE.A

YV ALTER W. BURNHAM, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CALK FOR RUNNING-SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,138, dated April30, 1889. Application filed January 25, 1889. Serial No. 297,566. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, WALTER W. BURNHAM, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Calks or Creepers for Running-Shoes, of which thefollowing is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enableany person skilled iny the art or science to which said inventionappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a bottom plan view of a shoesole provided with acreeping-plate of the ordinary construction; Fig. 2, a sectional view ofthe same; Fig. 3, a bottom plan view ofl shoe-sole provided with myimproved calks, and Fig. 4 a side elevation of one ofthe calks detached.

Y Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thedifferent iigures of the drawings.

My invention relates to that class of calks which are employed byrunners, base-ball players, and others employed in similar athleticpursuits, toprevent their shoes from slipping on the ground; and itconsists in certain novel features, as hereinafter fully set forth andclaimed, the object being'to prod-uce a simpler, cheaper, and moreeffective article of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the shoe-sole, and B a creeping-plate ofthe ordinary form and construction. thin .triangular metallic sheet openat in its central portion, and having its corners or ends bent at asnearly right angles as possible to the body thereof to form calks '19,the plates being secured to the sole of theshoeby screws or rivets d. Toobtain the requisite lightness, the plate B is ordinarily constructed ofvery thin steel, and in bending the points to form the calks these partsare greatly weakened, rendering them liable to be easily broken from Theplate B consists of a the body. Moreover, as there is no bearingsurfacefor the foot of the wearer outside the calks, when the shoe becomes wetthe pressure of the calks, especially the one at the toe portion, forcesthe adjacent portion of the plateebody into the sole, as shown in Fig.2. This causes said calk to gradually Hatten, and by the leverage thusobtained to force the screws d out from the shoe, thereby loosening theplate and frequently breaking them between the calks. The calks b beingintegral with the plate, it is impossible to so adjust said plate on theshoe that the bearing-points will be disposed in the proper places tosuit the wearer. My invention obviates these and other obj ections, andin carrying it out I construct the calk D with a circular bed-plate, f,(see Fig. 3,) the blade m projecting'centrally therefrom and at rightangles.

The blade m extends laterally across the face of the plate f, and isformed integral therewith, being rolled from finely-tempered steel. Ascrew-hole is formed in the bedplate f at each side of the blade,through which screws or rivets are inserted in attaching the calk to theshoe.

It will be seen that in my improve-ment an equal bearing for the foot issupplied at'each side of the blade, rendering the calks' far less liableto become loosened and preventing them from easily indenting the shoesole, whereby they may be worn with much less inconvenience than when ofordinary construction.

The calks thus formed may also be easily adjusted on the sole inpositions to suit the tread of the wearer.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- The calk D,comprising the bed-plate f, provided with holes z', and -the blade m,formed centrally and integral therewith and proj ect ing at right'angles therefrom, substantially as described.

VALTER XV. BURNHAM.

